Chapter 3
"How's Matt?" May smiled as she placed a plate of roast and potatoes on the table.
"He's Matt." Peter grinned.
"He made fun of your chocolate milk addiction again. Well, he's not wrong." she shrugged with a smirk.
"Aunt May!" Peter gasped in mock offense.
"You're 23 and drinking chocolate milk while perched on countertops."
"I don't always drink it while on countertops, and chocolate milk knows no age." Peter huffed, shoving a spoonful of potatoes into his mouth.
"You're maturity gives me hope for the future."
"Well let me impress you further by telling you I'm meeting Harry for supper tomorrow."
May's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Oh Peter, I'm so glad! I've been worried about him with everything going on. More so Peter, I've been worried about you. I know how you feel about what happened."
Peter frowned as he looked at his plate.
"I helped put his father away for good, Aunt May."
"Spider-Man did his job and stopped a dangerous threat. Peter Parker was there to comfort his best friend. Harry did grieve honey, but not for his father being locked away. He grieved for the people hurt and for himself. I watched the two of you grow up Peter. Harry wanted nothing more than to be close to his father. Norman never really paid him any attention. They never had a relationship to ruin. Harry grew up fully aware of Norman's shortcomings. Harry's not mad at Spider-Man. If anything, he's relieved that everyone, including his father, is now safe from Green Goblin."
Peter looked up into his aunt's face. Her gentle smile eased his growing anxiety.
"Of course, Harry isn't the only one dealing with things."
"MJ." Peter breathed.
"She's been calling me occasionally. She's trying to find out what's been going on with you." May nodded.
"I've been using Harry's transition in OsCorp as my out. MJ and Harry are a couple, it's hard to see one and not the other."
"I figured." May sighed as she looked at her nephew. "Peter, please don't meet Harry with guilt hanging over you."
Peter took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"If it helps, go meet him with the knowledge that he was head over heels in love with you through middle and high school."
Peter choked on his food while May smirked in fake innocence over the rim of her glass.
Peter yawned as he fell on to his bed. He only felt mildly embarrassed at being 23 and still basically living at home. May never asked why he didn't find his own place. Despite Matt's teasing, they both assumed May was fully aware of Peter's financial woes. Living with May allowed Peter to pretend, if only to himself, that he had plenty of money and could help her keep their home. After Uncle Ben had died, Peter made it his priority to put May's needs first when he could.
"Goodnight sweetheart." May smiled as she entered the room.
"Love you, Aunt May." he smiled as she kissed his forehead.
"Love you too, Peter"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony groaned as he flopped down in his chair.
"Rough meeting?" Steve asked as he entered Tony's lab.
"Ross is kicking around talk of the Accords again."
Steve frowned as Tony rubbed his temples.
"I thought they dropped it after everything with Bucky? If we had operated by the accords, Bucky would be locked up and the real threat still loose."
Tony frowned at the mention of the once Winter Soldier. While he had come a long way in his feelings about the man, occasionally the hurt over his parents would return. Steve was right though. If things had gone through with the Accords, the surviving Hydra problem could have been a major threat.
"He's nothing if not persistent." Tony sighed.
"No one even likes that man. I can't figure out how he still has his job." The two men looked at the door as Pepper Potts walked in.
"It wasn't a problem till we started acting like a team out in the field again. When we were staying out the way, they didn't want to push us. Bucky saved us in that aspect. Once it was 'leaked' that a man suffering from years of physical and mental torcher wasn't being offered real help, Ross couldn't risk lashing out."
"That 'leak' sure was something." Steve grinned slyly.
"Even if there was no leak, he'd still be wasting his time." Pepper smirked triumphantly. "Fresh on the table, Charles Xavier and Reed Richards have voiced concerns about the Accords. Xavier is concerned about how slippery a slope those Accords create. His school is safe place to help mutants learn to control their powers so they can live without fear. He worried that if the Avengers are governed in such a way, then they'll eventually try to branch out them. Reed feels the same."
"Well, with that news my worries just decreased significantly."
Steve smiled at Tony's lightened mood.
"So what bring you down to the depths, Pep?" Tony asked as he stood up, latching himself to Steve. Steve smiled and wove his arms around the slightly smaller man.
"You two are disgustingly sweet." Pepper faked gagged. "Anyway, I'm here with the plans for your 'intern program'."
Steve raised an eyebrow at her tone. He was definitely missing something.
"I just want to extend an opportunity to a deserving college kid." Tony responded casually to Steve's questioning look. "I know a teacher who I trust to give me a good candidate."
"Are you sure about that?" Steve asked.
"If I don't like the choice, I've already got a backup plan." Tony shrugged.
"Who?"
"A kid named Harley Keener."
Pepper crossed her arms and frowned after Steve left the lab for them to finalize things.
"This is a waste of time. You might as well go ahead and bring in Harley." she sighed.
"I know what I'm doing Pep. It's not like he's in a position to turn it down."
"You're backing him in to a corner by going through his professor."
"I'm aware." Tony replied, refusing to yield on his decision.
"He's had plenty of time to come talk to you, Tony. You're hot and cold antics don't help either."
"It’s not like I’ve been after the kid constantly. I back off to let him know I'm giving him a chance to think about things. If I keep hounding him, he'll just ignore everything. Besides, I now have a good excuse to reach out to him. He’s close to graduating and this is the real chance to bring him in. It’s an opportunity for both of us.”
Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You don't even know if he's acknowledged any of your attempts to reconnect!"
Tony raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Pepper, I know he’s at least looked at the emails. I send important things through email, Pep. I need to know they’re received and opened by the person I sent them to. So I created a program that tracks them and the computer they’re seen on. It’s his. I should figure out a way to track phone messages!”
"Tony, you're pushing even my patience here. That's skirting a thin line. It’s an invasion of privacy.”
"The kid's important to me Pep. I can't just drop him. No matter how stubborn he is, I'll keep pushing. He could be so much more. I didn't do everything right, I can admit that, but that's why he needs to just talk to me."
Pepper rolled her eyes and threw he hands up in resignation.
"Well, I sent the email to Dr. Connors yesterday. You're welcome. Now you'll just have to wait and see what happens."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Morning, Dr. Connors." Peter greeted as he entered the man's lab.
"Good morning, Peter. Ready to make a breakthrough?"
"You seem pretty confident today."
Dr. Connors grinned as he showed Peter his notes. They were scribbled on the back of a receipt and several napkins.
"Sudden inspiration?" Peter raised an eyebrow teasingly.
"Never let a thought pass without writing it down Peter. You never know when that random thought could be the answer you were looking for."
For the past few months Peter had been working with his professor for the free hour he had before his class started. He had been excited to the one on one time in the lab.
The two worked in comfortable silence for a while before Dr. Connors cleared his throat. Peter looked up, curious if the man had actually made his breakthrough. After his failed attempt to regrow his arm had left him with a scaly alter ego, the man had drastically changed his goal. It frightened him to know the creature was lurking just below the surface. The two had been working on, what was hopefully, a cure to rid the man of the Lizard for good. If nothing else, they hoped they could at least give full control of his mind and body over to the Doctor even during transformation.
"I saw your picture in The Daily Bugle. How is Spider-Man?"
Peter smiled to himself. After Spider-Man had helped with changing him back after his first transformation and rampage, he had been nothing but grateful. It wasn't often Peter got to feel appreciated.
"Still protecting the city."
A small smile crossed Dr. Connors' face before he turned serious.
"Peter."
"Yeah, Dr. Connors?"
"I received an email yesterday. It took my by surprise, but I'm actually excited to tell you."
Peter looked at him curiously. Dr. Conners smiled proudly at him before continuing.
"It's every teacher's dream to see their student's talents recognized. I can't think of anything better I could have the privilege of telling you."
"Ok, Dr. Connors, you have my complete attention." Peter grinned as he crossed his arms and leaned against one of the lab counters.
"Stark Industries sent me a request for a recommendation for an intern for their company. Its an internship that works directly with Tony Stark. I know it's not the type of field you're leaning towards right now, but you've got top grades in the engineering and physics courses you've taken. It wouldn't be a stretch for you, Peter."
Peter blinked slowly, his mind blank.
"Could you repeat that?"
Dr. Connors chuckled.
"I know its a shock. To be honest, I'm not sure why I was who they asked. I'm not exactly the go to person for engineering students. Maybe it's just that Tony and I know each other so he trusts me to find him a good fit. You're grades more than justify me picking you."
"Th-thanks Dr. Connors. I-It's a big deal." Peter stuttered out.
"It's also a fully paid internship Peter. You could quit that pizza delivery gig you try to keep and even give Spider-Man a break from The Bugle."
Peter smiled at his professor, desperately hoping it didn't look as tense and forced as it felt.
"What about our work here?" he asked, grasping for something to ground himself to where he was.
"Peter, I created the formula that turned me into the Lizard. It took me years to do it. I was never expecting this one to be developed overnight. I really want you to think about this, Peter. Lot's of students here would love to get the chance you have. Please, at least take some time to consider it."
Peter groaned internally. There was no way he was gonna share all the reasons he would not be taking the offer. Instead, Peter looked at the man's hopeful face and forced another smile.
"Sure Dr. Connors. I'll think about it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter fidgeted in his chair as he waited on Harry. He tried to follow May's advice, but it was easier said than done. It also didn't help that he kept running his conversation with Dr. Connors over in his head.
"Hey Pete." Harry smiled as he slid into the seat across from him, saving Peter from his thoughts. "It's been a while.
"Yeah, I know. I just knew things have been busy for you so I didn't want to take time away from you and MJ."
"Well we've both missed."
Peter felt himself relaxing at the sincere tone in Harry's voice. Looking closer, Peter noticed the relaxation in Harry's posture. He honestly couldn't say he had ever seen Harry so lose. Maybe Aunt May had been on to something after all.
The two paused their conversation as a busty waitress bounced up to their table to take their order. She smiled widely at the two before making her way back to the kitchen.
"I'll try to get by and spend some time with the both of you soon." Peter smiled, no longer as worried as before.
"Definitely. Anyway, I'm not here to nag you about being MIA ." Harry chuckled. "I'm here with a proposition."
"Harry Osborn, are you hitting on me? What would MJ say?!" Peter gasped as if scandalized.
"Oh, looks like some oblivious little nerd just found out his best friend was in love with him during their school years." Harry rolled his eyes. "Aunt May drop that bomb on you last night?"
"I choked on my food."
"Would you be interested if I was offering?" Harry grinned mischievously.
"Are we gonna be exclusive or will MJ be joining us?"
"As if I'd share you after all this time. You'd have to be my sexy side piece. We'd have to be quiet about it around MJ though, she might try to take you for herself."
"Take me Harry?" Peter cried.
The two men watched each other a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Seriously Pete, we've missed you." Harry smiled, his laughter dying down.
"Now that the tempting offer of a hot sex is on the table, I'll see you both Saturday." Peter chuckled.
"Nice. As tempting as that topic is, it's not why we're here."
Peter raised an eyebrow at Harry's tone.
"Something wrong Harry?" Peter asked.
"No. Everything's great actually." Harry smiled brightly. "No, this is about you. I want to hire you Pete. We're looking to strengthen our medical discoveries department. I want to give you your own lab and make you the head of any projects we get."
Peter blinked blankly for the second time that day.
"You're perfect for the position and you're graduating next month. I don't want an answer right now though. I want you to think about it. It's a big job to jump in to and I know most graduates don't just slip in to a position so demanding. I wouldn't consider it for anyone else but you. Just think about it and we'll talk about it later."
Peter couldn't respond if he wanted to.
"If it wasn't for the fact I can practically see the wheels turning, I'd think I shorted out Peter Parker."
Peter shook his head. He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around Harry's sudden offer.
"I do want you to think about it Pete, just not right now. Right now I want to enjoy a meal and catch up with my best friend."
Peter studied Harry a moment before pushing his offer to the back of his mind. Right now he would also like to enjoy his friend's company. He could save his newest job offer for a typical panic attack later.